The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates’ brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.

I read Marie Lu’s Legend series years ago and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to see what she’d do with an adult fantasy set in a modern world. This book didn’t disappoint. It took a minute for me to fully get my footing, but once I did, I was all in.

First things first: the concept is strong. Alchemy as a hidden power source controlled by rival crime syndicates is exactly my kind of setup. Add in a drug that promises perfection, and suddenly you’re not just dealing with magic, but with greed, ambition, and class warfare. I love when a magic system feels embedded in the social structure of the world, and Lu absolutely nails that.

The modern setting helps a lot. Angel City feels like an alternate Los Angeles that’s close enough to reality to be recognizable but twisted just enough to feel dangerous. Skyscrapers, crime families, underground magic markets—it all blends together smoothly. While it took me a little time to keep track of who was aligned with which syndicate and how everything fit together, that adjustment period was shorter than it usually is with fantasy (at least for me). I think the contemporary backdrop really helps ground things.

Sam and Ari are compelling leads. Their shared past adds emotional weight to the story, and I liked how their choices slowly push them onto opposite paths. There’s no mustache-twirling villainy here. Everyone is acting out of survival, ambition, or loyalty, and those motivations make the conflict feel earned. Watching their relationship fracture as the stakes rise was one of the most engaging parts of the book. It’s also not clear who, exactly the villains are. There’s a lot of gray area which was another highlight.

I’m also a sucker for superpowers, and this book delivers on that front. The abilities feel powerful without becoming ridiculous, and there’s a real cost attached to using them. The pursuit of perfection is seductive, but it’s also destructive, and the story never lets you forget that. The magic system feels well thought out, with clear rules and consequences that actually matter.

One thing I appreciated is how the romance is handled. Despite being labeled romantasy, this book doesn’t drown itself in endless sex scenes. There are sexy moments, but they’re purposeful. They develop character and tension instead of stalling the plot. That balance worked really well for me. The story always keeps moving forward, and the romantic elements enhance the stakes rather than hijack them.

The pacing is solid once things get rolling, and the plot has some genuinely good surprises. I found myself fully invested in how everything would shake out, especially as the conflict between the syndicates escalated toward open warfare.

What stood out most to me is how confident this book feels. This doesn’t read like an author tentatively stepping into adult fantasy. It feels assured, polished, and intentional. The writing is clean and engaging, the worldbuilding is rich without being overwhelming, and the characters feel like real people making hard choices in an unforgiving system. Had I not known Lu has written a lot of YA, I never would have noticed that. A lot of times when YA authors first venture into adult territory the books still read YA. That was not the case here.

By the end, I was more than ready to continue the series. I’ll absolutely be picking up the next installment when it releases.

If you like contemporary fantasy with strong worldbuilding, morally gray characters, and a magic system that feels dangerous and addictive, this book is well worth your time.